Summer Picnics

Dieters beware! If these descriptions from the book don't put you in the mood for a summer picnic, nothing will:

"The summer picnic gave the ladies a chance to show off their baking hands. On the barbecue pit, chickens and spareribs spattered in their own fat and a sauce whose recipe was guarded in the family like a scandalous affair. However, in the ecumenical light of the summer picnic every true baking artist could reveal her prize to the delight and criticism of the town. Orange sponge cakes and dark brown mounds dripping Hershey's chocolate stood layer to layer with ice-white coconuts and light brown caramels. Pound cakes sagged with their buttery weight and small children could no more resist licking the icings than their mother could avoid slapping the sticky fingers."
~I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou

Mouthwatering, yes? I imagine the array of food, and am ready to take part in the feast. The ritual of the summer picnic described in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is full of food, full of fun, full of life.

Here's one of my favorite recipes for ice cream pie to take to a picnic or potluck on a summer day, ready in minutes!

1. Fill a Keebler ready-made cookie crumb crust, any variety, with softened ice cream, any flavor. The good thing about using the ready-made Keebler crust is that it comes with a tin and a cover for the pie.
   
2. Top with whipped light cream, and chocolate shavings, if desired.
   
3. Cover and place in freezer; remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.